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Series of Firfl Volumes : Number Four 


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FRINGE 









-3 





For permission to publish some of the 
poems in this book, grateful acknowl¬ 
edgement is offered to the editors of 
Poetry : A Magazine of Verse, 

The Dial, and Voices. 



fit n Fy 


Copyright 1923 by Will Ransom 


Ore 3 i'23 


©C1A7G5546 


To My Father 
and To Edna 


IN THIS BOOK 


Autumn Rain 

9 

Out of an Early Snow 

10 

To a Bird in a Cage 

11 

Steeples 

12 

Portrait of an Old Lady 

13 

To a Dead Love 

14 

To Felix 

13 

April Snow 

16 

Solace 

17 

Beach Song 

18 

Out of a Cavalcade of Dull 

19 

Eli! Eli! 

20 

I Take My Answer of a Sage 

21 

Legerdemain 

22 

Chapter 

23 

Madonna 

24 

At Elay 

23 

Tide Out 

26 

Expression 

27 

Spring Moon 

28 

Two Sue for Favor 

29 

Worker in Marble 

30 


Difference 

31 

Half-nun 

32 

Thin Refuge 

33 

To an ErHwhile Loved One 

34 

In All 

33 

Word 

36 

Out of a Weariness 

37 

A Trivial Day in Early Autumn 

38 

From a Sea-girl 

39 

Late Winter Wood 

40 

Circle-chase 

41 

Panel 

42 

Sehnsucht 

43 

The Philosopher 

44 

Woman in a Garden 

43 

A Miraculous Day in May 

46 

Philosophic Dialogue 

47 

Sixteenth Century Ghetto Pieces 

30 

Seaside 

33 

Excursion 

34 

Mishap 

36 

Autumn Trees 

37 

Connexion 

38 

Autumn Evenings 

39 


















With that surprise 

Of one who Speaks 
To us and knows 
Wherein he lies. 


Yvor Winters 



Autumn Rain 


To eyes hollow 
With the gray distress 
The passing swallow 
Is all but a caress. 


9 


Out of an Early Snow 

I see the forehead of Moses 
In the autumn sky, 

The prophet who could look into this dream 
And prophesy. 

He will not say. Only rends 
White wisps of hair 
To go with the chipped tablet 
Down the air. 


io 


To a Bird in a Cage 

O little yellow bird, 

You are my soul, 

Repeating a note 

For which there is no word. 


n 


Steeples 

They gaily pass 
Within 

Who would be freed (en masse) 
Of sin. 


12 


Portrait of an Old Lady 


Up flutters a hand to caress 
Midway in the prayer— 
Her Sabbath dress, 

The frail gray of her hair. 


To a Dead Love 

Why, O love, 

Shall I cease to sing, 

Who above her child 
Would plant a flowering thing? 




To Felix 


Clear as water pooled in a cup 
I hear your thoughts 

Through all the spaciousness of my unrest. 

You have no place 

For the white bird at my breast, 

Or the face your hands lift up. 


i5 


April Snow 

Oh, your words are bitter to me 
As these last flakes of snow are 
To the little shining buds; but no bud 
That glistens like a raindrop on a tree 
Is so fresh with love. 


16 


Solace 


Tap 

At my pane 
With your finger-tip, 
O rain. 


Beach Song 

What are they weaving under the water? 

They make sheer laces and drag them down. 
They ruffle a lawn with a great grieving. 

What are they making—what manner of gown? 

What are they weaving, caught here, 

Caught there on the thin-washed blue? 

Who is to be married or who is to be buried, 
Under the water, under the water? 


Out of a Cavalcade of Duff 

In such a white procession, 

In such a guise, 

The dead might return 

With pantomime of lips and eyes. 


19 


Eli! Eli! 


"Eli! Eli!” What is that echo of a cry? 

Tall and long-bearded and two by two 
They go with eyes cast downward, 

Walking before Egypt without sound. 

But those who have been given prior place 
For gray-beardedness talk to God mildly 
With their mind’s lips, expecting soon 
To meet him face to face; 

and one, 

Who is somewhat a fool, has been charmed 
By a glimpse of stars in a pool, 

Two and two in sacrificial garb. 


20 


I Take My Answer of a Sage 

O black-gowned philosopher that walks 
on the water, 

Precisely-cut as the evening star, 

All mysteries are in your profound eyes 
In one. Who tries to find you 
Therefrom is drawn down. 


Legerdemain 

While the cricket vaunted 
Our rain-brilliant eyes, 

A subtle thicket caught at 
Half-lies. 


22 


Chapter 

i 

How long ago since I brought you 
into my heart 
And you still stand, 

Cold effigy of love, 

Letting none pass. 

ii 

Shadows 
In a wind, 

Two contend for place — 

How shall I know my mind? 

hi 

Like an unhappy ghost 
I lingered 
In the dark corners 
Of his soul. 

IV 

Do not drop your head, 

So upon your breast — 

My eyes hold all it was best 
I leave unsaid. 


23 


Madonna 


My eyes are infinitely mild: 
Your hand, 

Lying against my breast, 

Is like a child. 




At Play 


My fingers 
Are merry children 
In the meadow 
Of your hair. 


25 


Tide Out 


But the hour comes, 
When you are snuffed out 
Like a ghost 
At dawn. 


2 6 


Expression 


Inept as the words 
That wait upon my mind 
These twigs and half-formed buds, 
Pecking the wind. 


27 


Spring Moon 

One fair 
Breast is bare. 

Your eyes caress 
This; mine the moon. 

My lips a red 
Flower; with a fine 
Thread 

Our souls are caught. 

As ever your thought 
Flees mine. 


28 


Two Sue for Favor 

One is young. 

Lonely his eyes. 

The kiss of his lips 
Salted with bitterness. 

One is old and wise 
With pale lips 
And brittle 
Finger-tips. 


29 


Worker in Marble 


So I begin — 

More bitter chiselled words. 
Not one soft word 
To ease my heart. 


3o 


Difference 

So he: 

"Love is 

A lady, white as stone, 
Who stands alone 
Or passes by.” 

And I: 

"If one 
May not be 
Like a pebble spun 
Into the sea, 

Take this and 
This lightly: hand, 
Hair—where 
Love 

May not live.” 


3 1 


Half-nun 

Oh, believe me, I would rejoice, 
If you could tell yourself: 

"As well 
Caress snow.” 


32 


Thin Refuge 

Are you more than 
Man? 

Go! I can 
Say, Go! or I can 

Take the veil of 
Thought, fog-wall you 
Cannot cleave through. 


33 


To an ErStwhile Loved One 


Shall I, my friend, 

Who knew satiety 
In love and company, 

Cry at this welcome end? 

When I would breathe deep 
Breaths, because my 
Soul at last is mine, 

Shall I weep? 


34 


In All 


No bitterness remain, 

If in all, 

I have loved a passing shadow 
Cast on a wall. 


35 


Word 


How soon 
I, too, 

Have been left lonely, 
O pale moon. 


36 


Out of a Weariness 

O Love, 

Be Rest; be Calm. 

(For I am wise!) 

Come like Death 
With quiet palm and eyes. 


37 


A Trivial Day in Early Autumn 

A China lily cup 
Upon a pool 
Lifts up 
Its bowl. 

Over the pale sky 
Frail clouds; 

A butterfly 

About the garden flowers. 


38 


From a Sea-girl 


Star-light and moon-light 
Slip into the doorways of the sea 
All night. 

ii 

My hair is the sun-color 
Of the sand; but in an inland pool 
My eyes were cool 
As thin sea-air. 


39 


Late Winter Wood 


One cannot know 

What words they whisper who go, 

Unbeheld among the rooted deer 
That herd here, 

And without footsteps pass 
Across the hard grass. 


40 


Circle-chase 

'See, thus the winds 
Before me.” Swiftly she 
Comes, veil of pale hair 
To pale knee. 

He, swiftly, bright thigh 

Among meadow-flowers, among tall grass. 

Following the winds, 

They pass. 


41 


Panel 


Slim birches make 
A wall along the way 
The women take, they 

With remote air 

Of eye and hand and 

Coiled hair. Long-throated, they 

That reach 

Out down the birch-walk 

In thought 

Too still for speech. 


42 


Sehnsucht 


In hooded procession 
Night enters here, 

Recession 

Of light, not of love, 

Not of the need of rest, 
Transcending lip and breast, 

Goad 

That in Them created God. 


43 


The Philosopher 


For hermitage: a grain 
Of rice. 

" Where assemble one’s selves again 
In all thy rooms?” 

Sits in the sun, assumes 
No airs. 

"If ye be too precise 
For bare shins, look not.” 

Sits in the sun. 

"One 

The beginning, and One 
The end. Both the One?” 

Willows bend in the wind. 

So pliant to the next thought. 
"God is good. One may see far, 
Demanding nought.” 


44 


Woman in a Garden 


Grey tulips; yellow tulips 
Walk in wide 
Companies beside 
The woman in her garden. 

She who walks thus apart, 
Whose garden 
Enters her heart, 

Whose steps go — 

Her eyes are dumb. 

They know: 

What miracle 
Can come? 


45 


A Miraculous Day in May 

Before this, 

One must have face, 
Indeed, to offer a flower 
In a vase. 


4 6 


Philosophic Dialogue 

lfi Figure: Mountains are simple— 

In the thumb-nail mind 
Of man illusion doubles to 
Illusion in semblance of 
Complexity to hide 
Confusion. 

2nd Figure: None but knows 
Within Six Days 
He made the World 
And on the Seventh 
Sought Repose. 

The Evil, dying, 

Descend to Hell; 

The Good come 
Into the Kingdom. 


47 


m Figure: 

Infinite Logic 

Is too fine a 

Web for the myopic eye of a 
Fly. 

2nd Figure: 

None but knows 

Within Six Days — 

Iff Figure: 

Cause follows cause without 
End. The hounds tear 

In a circle after a 

No-hare. 

2nd Figure: 

The Good come 

Into the Kingdom. 

ltt Figure: 

For this is truth: the tail is 
Coiled back relevantly to the 
Teeth. 


4 8 


2nd Figure: 


Iff Figure: 


2nd Figure: 


There is but 
This single beauty: 

In fear of God each 
Does his duty. 

Out of the logic of 
Compensation in a circle 
Autonomic, beauty to 
Spare, a girl's 
Breasts; her hair. 

. . fear. 

.... duty. 


49 



Sixteenth Century Ghetto Pieces 


The Sign 
Who wears 

The yellow cloth wheel, 

Mark of Jew, fares 
Not well 

Unless his heel 

Be swift. So through the night 
The flight 

Of thy bright Wheel. 


50 


II 


The Government Orders the Brothels 
Removed to JudenBrasse 

One has seen 

The meadows green 

As a green gem only in sight 

Of eyes dosing out the night. 

Holy 

As God’s word 
Bird- 

Notes heard 

There. Now the Will, 

hungry like their eyelids, 

Bids 

These abide 
At one’s side. 


5i 


Ill 


Sundown 

Though the sun has not been 
In this street where 
Roofs bruise like the sin 
Of those who go 

To them, we know 
It has been, for one 
Comes with his hollow key 
To lock the Jew in. 


52 


Seaside 


Steam refrain to rain 
of gravel. Long division 
in the mind 

running about with hods 
carried over. Impossible to find 
an answer true if found. 


53 


Excursion 


I went from there, 
that place where 
I walked long gray streets 
as one speaks of food, dress, 
down other streets with less elation 
than turning in the conversation 
to other casual conversation. 

Gay cottages bloom on hill-sides 
of sand near Tamarack. 

Below on the octoroon beach, 
clustering like grapes, the bathers: 
purple, orange, and maroon. 


54 


In the sand woods inland a spotted 
antelope stands, 
and waits, 
and fluctuates 
among his spots. 

The vertical waters flowing 
horizontally with sky 
and hills and into this my 
going. 

Sun 

and moon one. 


55 


Mishap 

The rain arranged 
crystal berries for me 
to wear 
in my hair. 

By inadvertence one fell 
into the 
infinity 
of a bluebell. 



«. * 


Autumn Trees 


Like old men 
and women: 
simplified 
to a gesture. 


Connexion 


A phasma hare 

scampers in the chambers where, 
feigning not to see, 

I comb my hair becomingly. 


58 


Autumn Evenings 


Cleaving autumn from evening 
white north-south walk, 
imaginary line where we walk. 

On a park bench I 
quench I in gray air, 
while memories 
of autumn trees 
cry: 

"Bring spring!” 

Or savagely on the one sky 
die. 

But the moon is an eternal 
pearl. 

Or lake and sky a one 
and I go 

a curtain before the moon 
on. 


59 





* 4 









The Series of First Volumes 


No. i —OPEN SHUTTERS Oliver Jenkins 

No. 2 —STAR POLLEN Power Dalton 

No. 3 —ORIOLES & BLACKBIRDS Hi Simons 
No. 4 —FRINGE Pearl Andelson 









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